There’s not much new news on the legislative funding front. I recently offered testimony to the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee. My comments were well received. NMU’s written response to the subcommittee’s questions is posted at www.nmu.edu/president. As you can imagine, funding proposals are popping up and being passed around Lansing at a rapid pace. The creative discussion is great; the uncertainty a bit nerve-wracking. But because I know that NMU is taking a strategic approach to our budget preparations for fiscal years 2010, 2011 and beyond, I’m confident we’re going to be prepared to deal with whatever the final higher education bill contains. Due to the current fluidity of many aspects of the appropriations picture, we did delay the March 12 university forum until Tuesday, March 31. It begins at 3 p.m. in Jamrich Hall, room 103; you and your student are invited to attend.
About the time we had originally scheduled the forum, Governor Granholm met with Michigan’s 15 public university presidents to go over a higher education funding regarding proposal that linked to federal stimulus funding. The presidents were able to offer up comments and alternatives to address our areas of concern. Those are now being reviewed by the governor’s staff. The governor and presidents want to ensure aid to students, minimize tuition increases, take full advantage or the federal stimulus bill and avoid cuts to our budgets and programs, now and in the near future. The devil is in the details, as they say.
The governor’s proposed budget is now in the House. Once the House appropriations is done, the bill will go to the Senate and then to Conference Committee to resolve differences between the three proposals. The good news is that the federal stimulus dollars will help lower the target from our worst-case scenario of a $10 million budget cut to something much lower. The bad news is that, despite stimulus dollars and tuition restraint, general fund reductions still need to be made. Our costs to operate (utilities, medical and pension costs) continue to increase and will outpace any aid we receive. It’s also important that we take into account that the stimulus dollars are one-time dollars, meaning they disappear in 2012, and the governor proposes that we return to our 2008 budget in 2012, which is lower than this year’s budget. So there are still plenty of moving targets, but the campus continues to plan in a positive, proactive way, including the students, I’m proud to say. Up next in the legislative process is my testimony to the Senate Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which I am scheduled to do in Midland on May 4.
Our goal is to find that balance point between budget responsibility in today’s troubled economy, preserving programs and jobs, while also containing tuition increases. We know our students and families work hard to invest in a university education. We want to preserve the value of your investment. My top priority is to sustain the quality and integrity of our degree programs. As we move ahead, I will continue to do my best to keep you informed.
COURSE CHOICES: A reminder that Friday, March 27, is the last day to withdraw from a full-semester course with a “W” grade. A “W” grade does not count in a student’s grade point average, but keep in mind that course does count in courses attempted for financial aid purposes. In other words, a student withdrawing from a course because she’s really having trouble in it is a wise academic move, but making a habit of withdrawing from courses on a regular basis could hurt her ability to keep or get future financial aid. To learn more, go to www.nmu.edu/finaidsap. … Registration is under way for summer courses (www.nmu.edu/summer). The application for summer financial aid is located at www.nmu.edu/finaidforms. Course registration for the fall semester begins this upcoming week. If your NMU student does not know his assigned registration time, he needs to log in at http://my.nmu.edu, then click on Student Services, Main Menu, View Registration Status and Fall 2009, and then hit submit. This is also where any outstanding holds would be noted. … Students who desire financial aid next year but who have not yet filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should do so as soon as possible ( www.fafsa.ed.gov). Also keep in mind Monday, April 20, which is the due date for any documents requested by the NMU Financial Aid office, such as income tax returns or worksheets. The Financial Aid Office has recently completed the awarding of 1,708 new students for fall. After 2009 winter semester grades are posted, continuing students will begin receiving award notifications in mid-June through their NMU e-mail accounts. Students should watch for e-mails throughout the spring and summer to keep up with document requests and award notifications.
TAX ASSISTANCE: On Sunday (March 22), NMU students (unless they have an income over $40,000) can get free tax return preparation assistance from the Beta Alpha Psi students from 1-3 p.m. at the Peter White Library. For more information, students can e-mail ksolomon@nmu.edu. … The NMU Human Resources office recently e-mailed student employees a note notifying them that they could review the new federal tax withholding tables created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on MyNMU.edu (http://my.nmu.edu). The change began with the March 19 pay check. The e-mail included information for students who do not want their withholding reduced and about qualifications for the Earned Income Credit Advance Payment.The note directed students to talk with their parents about any specific tax questions they may have, as it may impact your family’s tax status.
RECOGNIZING THE BEST: For your calendars, here are a few NMU events that honor our best and brightest. On Tuesday, March 31, faculty and staff gather for the University Honors Reception to recognize the Outstanding Graduating Senior and Graduate Student of each academic department, as well as the five seniors who will graduate with 4.00 grade point averages. Northern will hold its 14th Annual Celebration of Student Research, Creative Works and Academic Service Learning on Thursday, April 16. This event provides our students the opportunity to gain experience in presenting their scholarly and creative works. The application deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, March 27. The 2009 Leadership Recognition Banquet will be held Wednesday, April 15. This event honors the campus’ student leaders with such awards as the top volunteer, top volunteering student organization, Board of Trustees Outstanding Graduates awards and others. An exciting new aspect to this event is that we are going to broadcast the Leadership Banquet program via the Internet.. More details on the broadcast to come in April. The event’s organizing committee is accepting applications for the banquet’s student keynote speaker. Qualifications are that the successful candidate be a senior graduating by December 2009 who has demonstrated leadership while at NMU. Applications are available at the Center for Student Enrichment and are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 30. Auditions will be held April 1-8.
SPRING INTO SERVICE: The NMU Volunteer Center is holding its first Spring into Service day, which will be held Saturday, April 4. This new event will match volunteers to service projects at local non-profits. The day starts with breakfast at the University Center before the work begins. Participating agencies are Bay Cliff Health Camp, Habitat for Humanity, Beacon House and others. Students and student groups have until Monday, March 23, to sign up. Registration forms are available on the Center for Student Enrichment site (www.nmu.edu/cse). Since our Make a Difference Day participation in the fall is so outstanding (usually about 100 student groups and more than 900 hours of volunteer work), we decided to offer a similar event in the spring. I’m excited to see how this turns out.
AROUND THE WORLD: The All Nations Club will hold its annual International Food Fest from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, March 22 at the Jacobetti Center. Tickets are $5 for students and $9 for non-students and can be bought at the International Programs office in Whitman Hall or at the door. It’s a fun dining experience for your student. Also check out the club’s International Food Fest recipe book, posted at www.nmu.edu/international. ... Some of this summer’s faculty-led study abroad courses still have openings. If your student is interested, he or she should apply soon. More details are available at the Web address just cited.
AT THE BERRY: Next Sunday (March 29), the United States Olympic Education Center is sponsoring Gold Rush Challenge 2009 at 4 p.m. at the Berry Events Center. A dozen four-person teams will skate head-to-head in short-track speedskating-style relay races, but skills on skates is only half of the fun as each team will also be awarded points for size of cheering section, costumes and for the overall group painting a wooden skate for display downtown during this fall’s short-track speedskating Olympic Trials and World Cup events. The races will be videotaped for broadcast in the competition venue during Trials and World Cup race breaks. Teams can register by contacting the USOEC at usoec@nmu.edu. For more information about the Olympic Trials or World Cup, including advance ticket prices (25 percent off), go to www.nmu.edu/usoec. … Tickets are also on sale for the Thursday, April 16, concert at the Berry featuring Hinder, Theory of a Deadman, Blackstone Cherry and The Veer Union. NMU student tickets are $18 general admission and $20 for floor seats. Tickets at the door are an additional $2. To order tickets, students can go to www.nmu.edu/tickets.
HEAR US ROAR: Talk about Wildcats on the prowl – we’ve got ‘em. Kelli Vander Baan just missed making the finals of the 3-meter diving competition at the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, finishing ninth (357.40 points) in the prelims, one point shy of the last qualifying finals spot. Krista Squiers finished 12th in the weight throw (53-11.75) at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Bailey Franklin captured the triple jump with a school record leap of 36-05.00 at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. In the pentathlon, she was third with 3,173 points, another new NMU mark. The Wildcat women’s Nordic ski team had five members named to the All-Central Collegiate Ski Association Team: Marie-Helen Soderman, Laura DeWitt, Ingrid Fjeldheim and Anna Karin Berglund. Christina Gillis was a second-team selection. NMU won the NCAA Central Regional Championships. At the national championships, the Wildcats placed two skiers in the top 20 of the 15K freestyle race (DeWitt, 17th and Sodermann, 20th) and two in the 5K classic (Soderman, 15th and DeWitt, 17th). On the men’s side, Martin Banerud was 11th in the 20K freestyle and 15th in the 10K classic. The hockey Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in the nation the second half of the season and last weekend ousted No. 8 nationally ranked Miami on the road in the second round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. By the time you are reading this newsletter, I will be heading downstate to meet up with NMU alumni at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to cheer on the ’Cats in the CCHA Championship. They face No. 1-ranked Notre Dame in the semifinals. They will meet Michigan or Alaska in the championship or third-place game. Kelsey Deacon, who led the NMU women’s basketball team in scoring (16.3 ppg) and assists (3.0 apg), was named to the GLIAC North all-conference second team. The ’Cats advanced to the GLIAC tourney, where they lost to Michigan Tech. Shani Davis, former USOEC athlete, won the overall sprint long-track speedskating title at the World Championships earlier this year, setting a new world’s record along the way.
QUICK NOTES: A collection of miscellaneous notes that may be of interest to you. The ASNMU student government elections will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7-8. Students interested in running for a position can get details at http://asnmu.nmu.edu. … The Native American Student Association sponsored the 17th annual “Learning to Walk Together” traditional pow wow last Saturday (March 14) and it was another great success. Way to go NASA students! … Ian Mayer had the winning question for this semester’s French trivia contest: What four countries border France? Know the answer? Go to www.nmu.edu/FrenchContest late next week to see if you were right. ... About 50 businesses and organizations participated in Wednesday’s (March 18) 19th annual Upper Great Lakes Collegiate Job Fair. We sincerely thank these people for their interest in our students. We know we have great future employees to offer them. … If your NMU student is business or entrepreneurial-minded, he or she should check out the following two free events. On Saturday, March 28, a forum about online entrepreneurship and the changing local economy will be held at the University Center. More details are available at the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship site at www.nmu.edu/ceee. A business seminar on the U.S. insurance industry will be held at 3:30 p.m., Friday, March 27, in the University Center. … Dr. Tawni Ferrarini, NMU’s Sam M. Cohodas Professor and director of the CEEE, is assisting Michigan Works! in soliciting input from people living and/or working in the Upper Peninsula and the Wisconsin counties of Marinette and Florence about what they perceive to be strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the area. If you would like to participate, click here for the survey and encourage your NMU student to participate.
A FINAL NOTE: Even lifelong residents of the Upper Peninsula are saying this has been an exceptionally cold and snowy winter. It reminds me of the finger-numbing winters of North Dakota when I worked at Valley City State University – but with a few hundred more inches of snow. Although I’m a native of California, I’ve grown to love the snow, but I’m still not so fond of sub-zero cold. I give the NMU students a lot of credit. There has been little complaining and an incredibly high level of activity on campus this winter despite the bitter wind chills. There are signs that spring is just around the corner, especially with last week’s above-average temperatures and the warmer temps predicted this weekend. However, Thursday morning Mother Nature sent a dusting of the white stuff just to remind us to practice patience. I looked out the window while it was snowing to see two students heading down the sidewalk in shorts and sandals, laughing and throwing snow at each other -- crazy, resilient, make-the-best-of-it, happy kids. It made me wish I was out there with them.
Sincerely,
Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University
